Healty Hand Washing and Drying

The Link Between Foodborne Illness and Proper Hand Washing and Drying Studies have shown that an estimated 25 to 40 percent of foodborne illnesses are caused by poor hygiene*. When an outbreak occurs, the reputation and future of a company can hang in the balance. Establishing an effective organization-wide Hand Washing and drying program is a challenging but essential step to promote safety and reduce the risk of an outbreak. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, proper Hand Washing and drying is the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection. This applies to food processing plants, restaurants, hospitals and anywhere food is prepared, including our homes. Healthful Hints: • After washing hands, you can help remove remaining germs by drying hands well with a paper towel. This additional cleaning is a result of the friction produced when using a paper towel. • Developing the habit of wrapping the paper towel around the fingers when drying hands helps to remove additional germs in the creases between the fingers, a hard to reach and often-neglected area. *(Bryan 1988, Bean and Griffin 1990, Bean et al. 1996, Olsen et al. 2000) http://www.gppro.com/healthy/handwashing.asp